{"id":37924,"date":"2022-08-22T14:41:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-22T12:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fishingbooker.com\/blog\/?p=37924"},"modified":"2026-02-12T15:35:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T15:35:48","slug":"key-largo-deep-sea-fishing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fishingbooker.com\/blog\/key-largo-deep-sea-fishing\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Go Deep Sea Fishing in Key Largo: The Complete Guide for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 8<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><p>So you&#8217;re thinking of casting a line in the Florida Keys. Who could blame you? The world-famous waters around this stunning archipelago are on the bucket list of any saltwater angler. But where to go? We&#8217;re here today to help you make up your mind by talking about the <a href=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker.com\/technique\/big-game-fishing\/us\/FL\/key-largo?utm_source=fishingbooker&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=post_content_link&amp;utm_term=37924\">Key Largo deep sea fishing<\/a> scene.&nbsp;<\/p><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/player.js\" async><\/script><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/embed\/jk1lwhpxlh.js\" async type=\"module\"><\/script><style>wistia-player[media-id='jk1lwhpxlh']:not(:defined) { background: center \/ contain no-repeat url('https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/embed\/medias\/jk1lwhpxlh\/swatch'); display: block; filter: blur(5px); padding-top:56.25%; }<\/style><wistia-player media-id=\"jk1lwhpxlh\" aspect=\"1.7777777777777777\"><div class=\"wistia_preload_transcript_outer_wrapper\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 100%; display:flex; justify-content:center; align-items: center; margin-top:-56.25%;\"><div class=\"wistia_preload_transcript_inner_wrapper\" style=\" overflow: auto;\"><p class=\"wistia_preload_transcript_text\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" style=\"text-align: justify; font-size: 5px !important;\">In this video, we&rsquo;ll take a trip down to Key Largo to check out one of Florida&rsquo;s most exquisite fisheries. We&rsquo;ll talk to some of our captains about the key target species, go-to spots, and everything else you need to know before planning a trip. After watching this video, you&rsquo;ll be one step closer to experiencing the Florida Keys and creating lasting memories in the Sunshine State. Key Largo is surrounded by natural reefs and shipwrecks making it an ideal location for scuba diving and it&#039;s even earned the title of the &ldquo;Diving Capital of the World.&rdquo;\r\n\r\nThe best part about Key Largo is the weather is always perfect. Well, maybe not always perfect but pretty close. The patch reef, there&rsquo;s always fish on the patch reef. Very seldom do you have a really bad day out on the water.\r\n\r\nWhen hopping on a Key Largo fishing charter, you can expect to target a variety of species.\r\n\r\nThe greatest thing about Key Largo is the fishability. All year-long, we have different species of fish. We have Sailfish during the wintertime, the Mahi bite during the summertime.\r\n\r\nEverything from offshore to inshore. Backcountry Redfish and Snook to the Marlin, the Tunas, everything offshore that you can imagine.\r\n\r\nSome of the structures you&rsquo;ll definitely want to check out are Duane and Bibb Shipwrecks as well as Molasses Reef and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. These spots are premier diving sites, excellent for snorkeling, and perfect for bottom fishing and drifting, too.\r\n\r\nThe best value for your money, especially if you have kids, is to do the fish and snorkel. Go out, we fish some patches, then we take you to some spots, you can jump in the water, look around and see everything, all the fish that are below that you wasn&rsquo;t catching or that you was catching. This pristine ecosystem is ideal for targeting a wide range of inshore species. You can catch Tarpon, Permit, Goliath Grouper, Mangrove Snapper, and many more.\r\n\r\nMy absolute favorite fish to catch has to be a Tarpon and I take pride in teaching my clients what I&rsquo;ve learned over the past 20 years. So, absolutely hands down, Tarpon is number one.\r\n\r\nOther great inshore spots include Harry Harris Park and Marvin D. Adams Waterway.\r\n\r\nHere, you&rsquo;ll battle Permit, Jack Crevalle, Redfish, Spotted Seatrout, and the list goes on. After you&rsquo;re done exploring the sounds and inlets, you should pick a day to check out some of Key Largo&rsquo;s deep-sea fishing grounds. Whether you want to hit the Gulf or head out into the Atlantic, the angling opportunities are plentiful &ndash; whichever direction you decide to go! You can target Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, Marlin, Sailfish, and many more.\r\n\r\nI\r\n\r\nthink the most exciting fish would be Mahi fishing during the summertime. The colors on these fish are amazing, the big jumps, the amount of fish that you actually see coming around the boat is unreal. You can have up to a thousand fish sometimes swimming around your boat and on special days you might even have one eat a bear hook. I think that&rsquo;s my favorite, favorite fishing.\r\n\r\nWith so many options between diving, snorkeling, fishing, or just hanging out on the beach, Key Largo is the ultimate family destination and the perfect place to unwind and explore one of the most beautiful archipelagos in the world! Key Largo fishing charters cater their trips to all ages and skill levels. We provide everything, from all the tackle to the licenses. Whatever you&rsquo;d like to bring to eat or drink, that&rsquo;s all you need.\r\n\r\nFishingBooker makes planning your trip extra easy &ndash; with hundreds of local guides, verified reviews, and hassle-free online bookings, you&#039;ll save time and money, and experience an exciting day on the water. So go ahead and visit fishingbooker.com, take a look at some of the charters in the area, and start planning your adventure today!<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/wistia-player><p>We&#8217;ll run through what you can catch, how to do it, when to come, and much more in the form of regulations and useful tips. Stick with us and, by the time you&#8217;re done reading, you&#8217;ll be an expert in the field of Key Largo deep sea fishing. All that&#8217;ll be left to do is to head down to the Keys and get your fish on!<\/p><h2 id=\"key-largo-deep-sea-fishing-catches\">Key Largo Deep Sea Fishing Catches<\/h2><p>We&#8217;ll start with the thing every angler wants to know wherever they go fishing. What is it they&#8217;ll be targeting, of course. The <a href=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker.com\/destinations\/region\/us\/florida-keys?utm_source=fishingbooker&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=post_content_link&amp;utm_term=37924\">Florida Keys&#8217;<\/a> list of offshore species is second to almost none around the world. So let&#8217;s meet the stars of the show.&nbsp;<\/p><h3 id=\"cobia-and-kingfish\">Cobia and Kingfish<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"928\" height=\"696\" src=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141101\/cobia-key-largo.jpg\" alt=\"A smiling angler holds a large Cobia caught in Key Largo\" class=\"wp-image-37929\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141101\/cobia-key-largo.jpg 928w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141101\/cobia-key-largo-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141101\/cobia-key-largo-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 928px) 100vw, 928px\" \/><\/figure><p>We&#8217;ll start off with two creatures that can be caught along the reefs and out in the deep blue. <strong>Cobia<\/strong> and <strong>Kingfish<\/strong> are light tackle favorites &ndash; and for good reason. Both offer plenty of exciting action, as they promise to fight hard to get off the end of your line. They&#8217;re also absolutely delicious, meaning that every angler will want to take one home at the end of their trip.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Cobia swim in schools in Florida, which is unusual for the species. This means you can engage in <strong>sight fishing<\/strong> as well as <strong>bottom fishing<\/strong> around structure or <strong>trolling<\/strong> the water tops. Try crabs and eels for bait, or any artificials that mimic these favored treats, and you&rsquo;ll be sure to attract their attention.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Kingfish are most likely to be caught with <strong>live bait <\/strong>on a sublet in the middle to top of the water column. They prefer shrimp and any kind of dead fish, although plugs can also do the trick. Just make sure to use a wire leader, whichever bait you have! For both species, <strong>November through April<\/strong> is the time when they come to the warm waters of the Keys to seek refuge. What better treat on a winter getaway?<\/p><div class='featured-charters-container' data-trigger='featured-charters' data-destination-id='114' data-destination-title='Key Largo' data-perpage='4' data-currency='USD'data-filter-field='fishingTechniqueFilter'data-filter-value='big_game_fishing'data-headline='Top Deep Sea Fishing Charters in Key Largo'data-add-type='m'><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/p><h3 id=\"mahi-mahi-and-wahoo\">Mahi Mahi and Wahoo<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141100\/Mahi-Mahi-kl.jpg\" alt=\"Three anglers hold a large Mahi Mahi caught while fishing in Florida\" class=\"wp-image-37933\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141100\/Mahi-Mahi-kl.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141100\/Mahi-Mahi-kl-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141100\/Mahi-Mahi-kl-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>Sticking with the theme of two fishy friends who show up at the same time, <strong>Mahi Mahi<\/strong> and <strong>Wahoo<\/strong> are both year-round species on Key Largo&#8217;s deep sea fishing menu. While Mahi Mahi are prized all over the world for their fighting prowess, dazzling looks, and delicious meat, Wahoo are often overlooked. But we&#8217;re here to try and change that. They&#8217;re equally as tough and just as delicious if you ask us!<\/p><p>Head offshore from Key Largo in <strong>spring and summer<\/strong> and you&#8217;re pretty much guaranteed to encounter these two beauties. Try<strong> fast trolling<\/strong> with any bait &ndash; these aren&#8217;t fussy eaters &ndash; and you&#8217;ll catch these creatures&#8217; attention. For an extra chance of success, look for any floating debris which could entice them, or try <strong>chumming <\/strong>to get them on the hunt for food. Wait for the reels to screech and leap into battle against these worthy opponents.&nbsp;<\/p><h3 id=\"tuna\">Tuna<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141100\/tuna-key-largo.jpg\" alt=\"A man and a woman hold a Tuna each on a Key Largo deep sea fishing boat\" class=\"wp-image-37932\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141100\/tuna-key-largo.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141100\/tuna-key-largo-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141100\/tuna-key-largo-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>If there&#8217;s one offshore fish that needs no introduction, it&#8217;s <strong>Tuna<\/strong>. Beloved around the world for their meat qualities, these creatures are top of the list for any angler wanting to catch their own dinner. But they&#8217;re also incredible game fish, too. Why? Well, not only do they grow to impressive sizes, they&#8217;re also cold-blooded, meaning they can dive deep with your line, making you fight for every inch of it.&nbsp;<\/p><p>In Key Largo, you can target two kinds of Tuna &ndash; <strong>Yellowfin<\/strong> and <strong>Blackfin<\/strong>. Yellowfins grow to bigger sizes, but Blackfins are just as fun to target. You&#8217;ll want to try <strong>trolling<\/strong> with lures or bait to catch these creatures&#8217; attention. But beware, Blackfins have incredible vision, so you&#8217;ll need a very light leader to make sure they don&#8217;t catch on. <strong>Chumming<\/strong> is also recommended to attract these brutes.<\/p><p>When to come Tuna fishing in Key Largo? Pretty much any time. Yellowfins show up between <strong>April<\/strong> and <strong>December<\/strong>, while their black-finned cousins are available from <strong>September through June. <\/strong>Get ready to test your skills before heading back to shore with a deserved reward.<\/p><h3 id=\"marlin-and-sailfish\">Marlin and Sailfish<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141057\/sailfish-kl.jpg\" alt=\"Two anglers hold a large Sailfish caught on a Florida Keys deep sea fishing adventure\" class=\"wp-image-37941\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141057\/sailfish-kl.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141057\/sailfish-kl-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141057\/sailfish-kl-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>If you thought nothing could top Tuna, wait until you find out about the next two superstars on our list. <strong>Blue Marlin<\/strong> and <strong>Sailfish <\/strong>are the pinnacle of almost any angler&#8217;s career. They&#8217;re pretty, they&#8217;re big, and they put up a fight like almost no other creature out there. We&#8217;re talking leaps out of the water, thrashing bills to try and cut your line, and big, long runs. You could be facing a battle of several hours if you hook one of these!<\/p><p>And the Florida Keys are among the few places in the world where there&#8217;s a <strong>year-round<\/strong> population of Sailfish! They come closer to shore around the reefs in winter but are available further out whenever you visit. As for Marlin, these creatures peak in <strong>spring<\/strong> and the <strong>beginning of summer.<\/strong><\/p><p><strong>Trolling<\/strong> is the preferred method for catching these monsters, although some thrill-seekers specialize in <strong>kite fishing<\/strong> or even attempting a catch<strong> on the fly<\/strong>! Any kind of lure that mimics bait fish swimming along the water tops will do. But beware, they&#8217;re not easily fooled&hellip;&nbsp;<\/p><h3 id=\"and-more\">And More!<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141102\/snappers-groupers-key-largo.jpg\" alt=\"Two anglers hold a Snapper and Grouper after returning to the dock from a successful fishing trip in Key Largo\" class=\"wp-image-37928\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141102\/snappers-groupers-key-largo.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141102\/snappers-groupers-key-largo-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141102\/snappers-groupers-key-largo-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>We&#8217;d need an encyclopedia if we were to list all the potential targets of deep sea fishing in Key Largo. But we&#8217;ll leave you with some more names that could equally have made the cut. Head further out and <strong>oversized Groupers<\/strong> and <strong>Snappers<\/strong> could be on the end of your line. For the former, you&#8217;ll want to try <strong>deep dropping<\/strong>, which could also see you target <strong>Tilefish<\/strong> and <strong>Swordfish<\/strong>! You should note that Swordfishing trips take place at night.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Other species that get bigger the further out you go include <strong>Barracuda<\/strong>, <strong>Amberjack<\/strong>, and <strong>Sharks<\/strong>. Try a whole range of the techniques mentioned above, and you&#8217;re sure to get a real mixed bag whenever you visit this little corner of paradise.&nbsp;<\/p><div class='reviews-fetcher-container' data-destination-id='114' data-destination-title='Key Largo' data-category-title='Deep Sea Fishing' data-category='fishing-type' data-category-id='1' data-trigger='reviews-fetcher' data-viewport-event='view_reviews_fetcher' data-action='In viewport' data-viewport-category='Reviews' data-label=''>\n                    <h3>What anglers said about Deep Sea Fishing in Key Largo<\/h3>\n                <\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/p><h2 id=\"how-to-go-deep-sea-fishing-in-key-largo\">How to Go Deep Sea Fishing in Key Largo<\/h2><p>You should already know that you need a boat to go deep sea fishing. And we suggest pairing up with a local captain. They&#8217;ll show you all the ropes when it comes to catching your desired fish, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean you shouldn&#8217;t at least know what to expect.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141101\/bottom-fishing-kl.jpg\" alt=\"A Key Largo deep sea fishing boat sails off with a person bottom fishing at the rear\" class=\"wp-image-37930\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141101\/bottom-fishing-kl.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141101\/bottom-fishing-kl-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141101\/bottom-fishing-kl-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>One big benefit of going deep sea fishing in the Keys is that the productive fishing grounds are close to shore &ndash; just 5 miles, in fact. That means you can even catch a monster on a trip as short as 4 hours. But if you&#8217;re looking to maximize your returns, we suggest spending 8 or more hours on the water. That way, you can test your skills against the range of creatures these fishing grounds offer and explore waters up to 60 miles offshore. <\/p><p>Now that&#8217;s out of the way, we&#8217;ll run through exactly how you can cast a line in Key Largo for maximum effect.&nbsp;<\/p><h3 id=\"trolling\">Trolling<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141102\/trolling-key-largo.jpg\" alt=\"Four trolling rods stacked above each other on a boat as it sails away in Key Largo\" class=\"wp-image-37927\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141102\/trolling-key-largo.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141102\/trolling-key-largo-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141102\/trolling-key-largo-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>The most common deep sea fishing technique, trolling means dragging a line (or several) in the water behind the boat. The aim is to mimic the prey of your target fish. You can use multiple lines to increase your chances, and weighted hooks to set the lures at the right depth in the water column to attract the attention of your desired catch.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Most offshore feeders in Key Largo, however, are topwater feeders, so you&#8217;ll likely be using some light leaders. Different fish require different speeds, too. Fast trolling is best for most offshore creatures, but Kingfish and Wahoo can also be caught by slow trolling. Even if you&#8217;re heading out to try bottom fishing or deep dropping, you&#8217;ll most likely at least try trolling on the way out or in.<\/p><h3 id=\"bottom-fishing-and-deep-dropping\">Bottom Fishing and Deep Dropping<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141056\/bottom-fishing-klargo.jpg\" alt=\"Two anglers bottom fishing in Key Largo with one holding a rod and the other the line\" class=\"wp-image-37942\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141056\/bottom-fishing-klargo.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141056\/bottom-fishing-klargo-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141056\/bottom-fishing-klargo-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>Both bottom fishing and deep dropping are pretty self-explanatory. The former is most commonly associated with <a href=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker.com\/fishing-type\/reef\/us\/FL\/key-largo?utm_source=fishingbooker&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=post_content_link&amp;utm_term=37924\">reef fishing<\/a> or in shallow waters, but it&rsquo;s also possible around any form of structure. Like trolling, the aim is to mimic bait fish. But instead of dragging your lure behind you, you actively drag it along the structure or sea bed. This is an effective technique for Cobia, Snappers, Groupers, and more!<\/p><p>Deep dropping is basically the same but requires specialist equipment. After all, you&#8217;ll be dropping your lure over 400 feet down &ndash; sometimes as far as over 1,000 feet! Now, unless you&#8217;re among the strongest people in the world, you&#8217;ll be unlikely to drag something up that far. And that&#8217;s without mentioning the sizes some of these fish reach! Electric reels and long lines do the job, helping you land delicious Groupers, Tilefish, and Swordfish.&nbsp;<\/p><h3 id=\"fly-and-kite-fishing\">Fly and Kite Fishing<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141058\/kite-fishing-kl.jpg\" alt=\"An angler tries to lure a fish offshore by kite fishing with a green kite\" class=\"wp-image-37940\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141058\/kite-fishing-kl.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141058\/kite-fishing-kl-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141058\/kite-fishing-kl-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>Some experienced anglers swear that there&#8217;s nothing better than deep water fly fishing or kite fishing. While they&#8217;re both certainly acquired skills, if you think you&#8217;ve got what it takes, there&#8217;s no reason why you can&#8217;t try deep sea fly or kite fishing in Key Largo!&nbsp;<\/p><p>As we&#8217;ve mentioned above, many of the species you&#8217;ll be targeting are topwater feeders, meaning that they&#8217;re partial to taking a fly, too. However, you&#8217;ll need perfect timing to get species such as Sailfish and Tuna to bite, not to mention incredible strength. Fly rods and reels, and the lines you&#8217;ll be pulling in while kite fishing, are not quite as compliant as conventional gear.<\/p><h4 id=\"a-word-on-chumming\">A Word on Chumming<\/h4><p>One good way of bringing your prey to the boat is by chumming, as we&#8217;ve already said. But what is it? Well, chumming means throwing bits of meat into the water to attract the fish. Cut up any fish you&#8217;ve already caught, or bring some freshly cut fish aboard and the smell and sight of a tasty treat will trick the species you want to get close to the boat. This is especially popular for Tuna species, as well as Mahi Mahi, and more.&nbsp;<\/p><h2 id=\"key-largo-deep-sea-fishing-regulations\">Key Largo Deep Sea Fishing Regulations<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141056\/kl-rnr-1024x768.jpg\" alt='An infographic stating \"Key Largo Deep Sea Fishing Regulations: All You Need to Know\" in white on a blue background with the Florida state flag and a vector of a boat' class=\"wp-image-37943\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141056\/kl-rnr-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141056\/kl-rnr-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141056\/kl-rnr-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141056\/kl-rnr-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141056\/kl-rnr.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>Before you start booking your Key Largo deep sea fishing adventure, you should know some ground rules. Heading out with a registered Florida charter operator means you won&#8217;t need a license. However, if you&#8217;re casting a line from your own vessel, you&#8217;ll need licenses for everyone on board. Check out how to get yours with our <a href=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker.com\/blog\/florida-fishing-license\/\">handy guide<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Other than that, you&#8217;ll also want to be aware of restricted seasons and size and bag limits. These can change, but it&#8217;s important to know that Marlin and Sailfish are almost always catch-and-release only. Similarly, all Groupers are closed for harvesting from January through April, while certain Tilefish can only be caught in summer. Check out the FWC&#8217;s updated guide for this year <a href=\"https:\/\/myfwc.com\/media\/28319\/atlanticcalendar.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p><h2 id=\"key-largo-deep-sea-fishing-where-dreams-come-true\">Key Largo Deep Sea Fishing: Where Dreams Come True<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141059\/Key-Largo-aerial.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of Key Largo with the ocean in the foreground\" class=\"wp-image-37934\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141059\/Key-Largo-aerial.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141059\/Key-Largo-aerial-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141059\/Key-Largo-aerial-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>Whenever you come to the Florida Keys, there&#8217;s always the chance of landing a bucket list fish. <a href=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker.com\/destinations\/location\/us\/FL\/key-largo?utm_source=fishingbooker&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=post_content_link&amp;utm_term=37924\">Key Largo<\/a> is just the place to start the adventure that helps you achieve it. The city&#8217;s bustling marina is full of big offshore sportfishing vessels ready to take you out. The only thing left to do is join a captain aboard one and get ready to make your dreams come true.&nbsp;<\/p><p><em>Have you ever been deep sea fishing in Key Largo? Any stories you&#8217;d like to share? Let us know in the comments below. We love hearing from you!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So you&#8217;re thinking of casting a line in the Florida Keys. Who could blame you? The world-famous waters around this stunning archipelago are on the bucket list of any saltwater angler. But where to go? We&#8217;re here today to help you make up your mind by talking about the Key Largo deep sea fishing scene.&nbsp; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":37930,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1473,1472],"tags":[356,381,1007,342,539,471,1094,408,373],"class_list":["post-37924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-fish","category-where-to-fish","tag-big-game-fishing","tag-blue-marlin","tag-deep-sea-fishing","tag-florida-keys","tag-key-largo","tag-mahi-mahi","tag-offshore-fishing","tag-sailfish","tag-tuna"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Go Deep Sea Fishing in Key Largo: The Complete Guide for 2026 - FishingBooker Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker.com\/blog\/key-largo-deep-sea-fishing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Go Deep Sea Fishing in Key Largo: The Complete Guide for 2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Thinking of casting a line in the Florida Keys? Find out why deep sea fishing in Key Largo may be the best way to go about it!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker.com\/blog\/key-largo-deep-sea-fishing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"FishingBooker Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FishingBooker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-08-22T12:41:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-12T15:35:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/fishingbooker-prod-blog-backup.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/media\/2022\/07\/14141101\/bottom-fishing-kl.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rhys\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rhys\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Go Deep Sea Fishing in Key Largo: The Complete Guide for 2026 - FishingBooker Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/fishingbooker.com\/blog\/key-largo-deep-sea-fishing\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Go Deep Sea Fishing in Key Largo: The Complete Guide for 2026","og_description":"Thinking of casting a line in the Florida Keys? 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